It has been commonly accepted knowledge in the medical community that the highest rates of colorectal cancer occurred in patients over the age of 50. This common wisdom is still shared, but according to a new study rates of colorectal cancer are slowly rising among younger adults under the age of 50.

In a study based on data from the National Cancer Database registry, Dr. Boone Goodgame and his team discovered that rates of colorectal cancer have been slowly climbing since the 2004 in patients who fall under the age of 50. The new study showed a 12.2% colorectal cancer rate among those under 50, compared to a rate of just 10% among the same group in 2004.

While income did not seem to be a factor in where these new cases were coming from, location did seem to impact the findings. Those in urban centers were found to have higher rates of the cancer then those in rural communities.

One other troubling sign from the study was that more of these colorectal cancers then before had been found at an advanced stage, up to 51.6% of the cases in younger adults were advanced as opposed to those over 50 who had roughly 40% of the cases found at an advanced stage.

The good news is that the rates of death from colorectal cancers have been falling in the United States over the last few decades. More and more patients are surviving a colorectal cancer diagnosis then ever before.

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